Man tried to see a GP six and died of cancer- then dad took his life

A grief-stricken father took his own life after his son's aggressive form of cancer was dismissed as 'back pain' and 'anxiety' by doctors.

Oliver Philpott had fallen ill during the Covid lockdown and had been trying to get an appointment with his doctor for four months.

Oliver, a beach warden and builder, had been repeatedly triaged without seeing a doctor face-to-face but when he finally got an appointment his GP was left in shock.

Oliver was rushed to A&E at the Conquest Hospital in Hastings and immediately transferred to critical care. 

His family later discovered Oliver had been suffering from an aggressive and rare form of cancer which had effectively strangled his heart and lungs. He died three days later on June 18.

In a double tragedy Oliver's father, Anthony, 61, took his own life after struggling with the guilt of not being able to help his son.

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He had told Oliver to 'man up' in a phone call after hearing the doctor had told him he was probably suffering from 'anxiety.'

Now his family are trying to come to terms with the tragedy after an inquest found the NHS triage system may have contributed to a delay in his diagnosis. 

His devastated sister, Victoria, 39, a hairstylist, said: 'Oliver may not have died from Covid but the pandemic effectively killed him.

'The failure to diagnose Oliver and the inadequate systems put in place highlight how ill-prepared we were for Covid.

'My brother didn't want to bother the already stretched NHS during the Covid lockdown but he felt very unwell. He told them he had chronic fatigue and back pain but was fobbed off.

'The very fact he had barely seen a doctor in his life and yet here he was repeatedly calling them should have been a warning sign in itself.

'As a family we were shocked at the time that he wasn't being offered a face-to-face appointment.

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'We thought he must have been doing something wrong so we tried the GP practice ourselves only to be met with the same response.'

She said her younger sister Alicia, 33, and mother, Jeanette, 63, are both still wracked with grief. 

 Victoria, who has two sons, said: 'We lost my brother is extremely tragic circumstances and then my dad as well. It's been absolutely horrendous. My mother has been particularly badly affected.

'We're all much less trusting and more cynical, especially when it comes to the NHS. I always question things now and we're a lot less optimistic.'

Alicia Philpott said: 'I'm heartbroken and still in shock and trying to come to terms with everything.'

However the coroner found no fault with Oliver's GP practice or the NHS telephone triage system put in place during the pandemic.

Fiona King, senior coroner for East Sussex, told the inquest into his death: 'An opportunity to diagnose his illness by way of a face-to-face examination by the GP did not occur due to national NHS Covid restrictions requiring triaging of patients and telephone appointments.

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'He was probably one of the most unwell people I have seen come into a GP surgery. I haven't seen anyone more unwell.'

'This is not a case where I can find a failure to have a system in place. However the emergency Covid triage system may have had a deleterious affect on Oliver's prospects of earlier diagnosis and treatment.' 

The inquest heard Oliver first tried to get an appointment when he phoned his GPs on February 26 2021.

The builder, who was fit and healthy and often went to lift weights in the gym, had never complained about his health and had barely seen a doctor in his life. 

However in early 2021 he began to feel unwell. He had a bad pain in his back, was suffering from chronic fatigue and was sleeping until noon.

Dr George Taggart assessed him over the phone and ordered a blood test which showed he had a slightly elevated white blood cell count - normally associated with the body fighting an infection or inflammation - and low Vitamin D levels.

Mr Philpott was given the all clear and told to take a Vitamin D supplement.

However on April 29 Mr Philpott called the surgery again where he was triaged by paramedic practitioner, Jamie Clarke.

Mr Philpott told the paramedic the back pain he had suffered since January was not improving.

He said he had given up weight-lifting in the the gym as a result but was continuing to feel very tired and anxious.

Mr Clarke prescribed painkiller Naproxen for his back and referred the builder and to physiotherapist, Nicola Bamford, who carried out a phone assessment on April 30.

Timeline of contact 

February 26 - Calls Rye Medical Centre and speaks to Dr George Taggart complaining of long-term fatigue and back pain.

March 5 - Blood tests carried out. Slightly raised white platelets found

April 29 - Calls Rye Medical Centre asking for an appointment. He speaks to paramedic practitioner, Jamie Clarke, complaining of fatigue, severe back pain and anxiety and is referred to physio.

April 30 - Has a telephone appointment with physio, Nicola Bamford.

May 7 - Sees Ms Bamford face-to-face who carried out full assessment before showing him how to manage with back pain.

May Contacts Rye Medical Centre to arrange appointment.

May 11 Has telephone appointment with Dr Fiona Warner who hears about his continuing back pain and anxiety and prescribes an anti-depressant.

June 2 - Calls surgery back and speaks to paramedic practitioner, Jamie Clarke, complaining of new symptoms of swelling in arms and legs.

June 11 - Father, Anthony, calls surgery very worried about his son.

June 15 - Sees Dr Warner in face-to-face appointment and is admitted to hospital.

June 18 - Dies at Conquest Hospital, Hastings.

On May 7 he saw the physiotherapist in a face-to-face appointment where he told her his pain levels were sometimes eight out of 10.

She made Oliver do some exercise assessments which she felt he carried out with ease and she did not refer him back to the GPs.

She deduced his pain was muscular-skeletal and gave him breathing exercises to deal with his anxiety.

However Mr Philpott called the medical centre again saying he was still struggling with bad back pain, was having difficulty sleeping and continued to be anxious.

On May 11 Mr Philpott had a telephone consultation with Dr Warner, the inquest heard, where he told her about his symptoms.

Without seeing him in person she prescribed an anti-depressant to help with his anxiety.

On June 2 he phoned back again and told the paramedic practitioner he now had constant back pain but also had swelling in his arms and legs - oedema - which a sign of serious ill health.

Mr Philpott was told to call back if the pain in his back dramatically increased and the call ended.

On June 11 his desperately worried father, Anthony, called Rye Medical Centre and said he was seriously worried about his son.

He said his son was very ill and had lost a huge amount of weight, couldn't walk and couldn't get out bed.

However Dr Taggart told him he could not discuss his son's case without prior permission being granted by this son.

On June 15 his sister Victoria succeeded to obtaining an appointment at the surgery and pushed her poorly brother into the consulting room in a wheelchair.

'I knew I had to get him to see a doctor. He was ashen. He had lost weight and he could barely walk. His arms were very swollen and he seemed like he'd given up mentally.'

He was taken to Conquest Hospital where he died on June 18.

Dr Warner told the inquest into his death that if Mr Philpott had reported his symptoms now then he would automatically be given a face-to-face appointment.

Victoria said: 'The surgery has also said that no patient can undergo a telephone triage more than twice and they have to be seen in a face-to-face appointment on the third call.

'That is good news for patients who have difficult to diagnose conditions like Oliver had but it has come too late for him. As a family, we're glad something good has come out of this tragedy but Oliver's death should never have happened.'

For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support